Half to alfred abrahams



(No Model.)

C. THORNEWELL.

SWITCH OPERATING APPARATUS.

No. 568,815. Patented Oct. 6, 1896.

UN TED STAT S ATE-NT OFFICE.

CHARLES THORNEWELL, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOALFRED ABRAHAMS, OF SAME PLACE,

SWITCH-OPERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,815, dated October6, 1896. Application filed April 16, 1896. Serial No. 587,748. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES THORNEWELL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSwitch-Operating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof, in which similar letters of reference indicate correspondingparts.

This invention relates to railway-switches and means for operating thesame; and the object thereof is to provide an improved switch-operatin gmechanism which is adapted to be operated from the platform of a car, afurther object being to provide an apparatus of this class which isprimarily adapted for use in connection with street-railway tracks andtramway-cars, though it may be connected with any kind or class ofrailways; and the invention is fully disclosed in the followingspecification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in whichFigure l is a transverse section of a part of a railway-track, showingmy improved switch-operatin g mechanism connected therewith, and showingalso the end of a car with the device connected therewith for operatingthe switch-operating mechanism; Fig. 2, a

. side view of the end of the car and a section on the line 2 2 of Fig.3, and Fig. 3 a plan view of a railway and switch provided with myimproved switch-operating mechanism.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, reference being madeto Fig. 3, A and B represent the main rails of a railwaytrack, and G andD the rails of a side track or switch, and E an ordinary switch plate orbar, and in the practice of my invention I provide a switch-operatingmechanism which comprises a plate G, which is placed over a chamber F,which is suitably located beneath the rails of the track and beneath theswitch plate or'bar E. The plate Gr is supported at its opposite ends inrectangular slots 9 at each end thereof, and said plate is convex incross-section on its under surface, as shown at 9 and therefore adaptedto rock on its end supports when pressure is applied to either sidethereof from above.

Connected with the bottom of the plate G and at one side thereof is adepending rod or arm 9 which is pivotally connected at its lower endwith a transverse plate or bar 9 one end of which is pivotally connectedwith a lever H, which is mounted on a rod h, which is supported byhangers 71. which are secured to the top of the chamber F, or which maybe supported in any desired manner, and the upper end of the lever H isconnected with the switch plate or bar E, and if the plate G is rockedby applying pressure to either side thereof the switch bar or plate Ewill be operated so as to open and close the switch.

In my invention I connect with the platform K of a car, which isprovided with the usual dashboard k, a suitable hanger or hangers W, towhich is pivoted a crank-lever M, to the rear end of which is secured aweight m, and the front end of which is carried forwardly and downwardlyand provided with a roller m and pivotally connected with the front endof the lever M is a vertically-movable rod 0, which passes upwardlythrough the platform of the car and is adapted to be operated therefrom.In practice I provide two of these devices, one of which is located ateach side of the platform, and the vertically movab1e rod 0 may bedisconnected from one and connected with the other, if desired, or eachlever may be provided with its own vertically-movable rod or bar.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

All that is necessary to operate the switch or open or close the same isto depress the outer end of one of the levers M, so that the roller m atthe end thereof will come in contact with the adjacent side of the plateG, and this movement will open or close the switch, as may be desired,and the weight m on the lever M will return it to its normal position orto the position shown in Fig. 2.

This invention is simple in construction and operation and is perfectlyadapted to accomplish the result for'which it is intended, while beingcomparatively inexpensive, and it is evident that changes in andmodifications of the construction herein described may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages;and I reserve the right to make all such alterations therein andmodifications thereof as fairly come within the scope of the invention.

The plate G is provided with a manhole p, which is provided with a coverp Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- In a switchoperating apparatus of thecharacter described, the combination with a switch-plate E, of a plateGplaced overachamber 1*, suitably located beneath the switch-plate, saidplate being convex in crosssection on its under surface and beingadapted to rock on its supports, a depending arm g connected with saidplate, a transverse plate g" pivotally connected with said arm 1 a lever.ll pivotally connected with said plate 9, a rod h on which said leveris mounted, said rod h being supported by hangers 7L2, said lever IIbeing connected with the switch-plate, hangers 75 secured to theplatform of the car, a weighted cranlelever carrying a roller m and avertically-1novable rod connected with said crank-lever to operate thesame, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of April,1896.

CHARLES 'lIIORNElVELL.

Witnesses:

0. GERST, O. G. MILLIN.

